In summary, a Grail War is a ritual/battle in which seven mages, called 'Masters' fight each other over the Holy Grail. They each summon a hero of history and legend to help them. They must each have a weapon, technique or spell linked to their legend, called a Noble Phantasm. The hero must qualify to fall under one of the following classes, which serves as the basis of their abilities:

- Saber - A hero who wields a sword, thus is a short range warrior. Most well-rounded of all classes.

- Lancer - A hero who wields a spear or any Polearm. He can fight short to mid range. They are commonly very agile.

- Archer - A hero who fights at range. They have the class skill 'Independent Action', which allows them to survive longer without their Master.

- Rider - A hero who emphasizes on speed and really powerful Noble Phantasms (which could be his/her mount). They have the class skill 'Riding' for this reason. (Their mounts could be anything from simple horses and machines to supernatural creatures and divine beasts.)

- Caster - A hero known for using magic and sorcery. They have Territory Creation, which is akin to a reality marble, that enhances their sorcery.

- Assassin - A hero that specializes in stealth and Master-killing. They tend to have weak combat skills, but have the class Skill 'Presence Concealment'.

- Berserker - A hero that has gone berserk during his/her lifetime. Has the trait Mad Enhancement which gives them a great power boost, at the cost of Sanity. Masters usually have a hard time controlling Berserkers, resulting in their deaths.

So in this thread, I ask what kind of Servant would you/your character be? What sort of Noble Phantasm would you possess?

Just to help you guys out, I'll post Paorou, the Mad King.

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Paorou, The Crimson-caped Mad King

Possible Classes: Caster, Berserker, Saber, Rider, Archer.

Known as the Mad King of Insanity, and one of the many central figures in the Iwaku Mythos, Paorou has served as both hero and antagonist since the times of Gabriel. As a Servant, he is very hard to maintain, as he demands a great amount of Prana to fuel his overwhelming power. Thus, while indeed a powerful Servant, he is also a difficult one to manage. Since the Mad King has been in many, many iterations of Iwaku Myth, it comes as no surprise that he is qualified for many classes. He has a lot of Legend to draw upon.

He is actually at his strongest as a Berserker - since Mad Enhancement's negative effect does not affect him. (Sanity and orderly thought are optional values for him. He only acts in a coherent fashion as a sign of love.) But the Prana required to maintain him still counts - and he is already difficult to maintain.

Noble Phantasms:

Insanity - Glory of the Broken Motherland - EX
A Reality Marble in which Paorou temporarily ceases to become a servant, and for its duration, becomes a world, a phenomenon close to godhood. In this Reality Marble, it almost assures a complete victory for the Mad King, as his opponents have to face an entire world. He can only be defeated if he loses enough prana, or the enemy uses an anti-world weapon (such as Ea) which results in his defeat. If he is summoned as a caster, his territory creation immediately has this effect as long as he remains in the area. All iterations of Paorou have this Reality Marble, but it requires an ungodly amount of Prana just to activate. Great rituals of mass sacrifice may be required to meet this demand. If he is a caster, and used this ability as a territory, he rapidly consumes the leylines in the immediate area to power his spells. This may lead to unfortunate consequences...

- Manifold Perceptions - Golden eyes seeking Utopia - B
Paorou's primary 'spell', which is actually an extension of his reality marble above. Golden eyes open in the immediate vicinity, acting as gates or 'lenses'. After this, Paorou shoots forth his 'reality' from these eyes, attempting to overlap specific vectors of space with his inner world. Other people simply perceive this as golden beams of energy. If hit, people with weak wills are immediately burned right through - stronger-willed targets maintain their belief of their current reality, and survive. However, it is still a shocking and powerful attack, which is coupled with the fact that he can fire these beams casually and at any angle. This is called an act of 'reality bending' in Iwakuan myth, and Paorou is one of its undisputed masters. His overt reliance on this ability drains a lot of prana from his reserves, and thus his masters' as well.

- Cyclic Regeneration - Antagonistic Counter Guardian - B
Paorou's secondary 'spell', which is also actually an extension of his reality marble above. Paorou's deceptively weak baseline stats belie his powerful sorceries and gifts for service to the 'Cycle' of Iwaku. He can never be killed as long as he/ or his master has Prana. However, each time a lethal blow is struck, a large amount of Prana is immediately consumed to regenerate him to full power. The Master cannot control this as it is an automatic action. If Paorou is killed too often, this arbitrary consumption can lead to the death of his Master. In the original myth, Paorou consumed a portion of the world of Iwaku to create new bodies for himself - but since Grail Wars don't always necessarily occur there...

Crimson Jin - Bloodshot god of the Winds - A
His Steed, a great mechanical dragon with wings of lightning. It can fly through the sky at great speeds, and its wing buffet alone is enough to flatten a forest. Perhaps the greatest utility of this mount is that he can summon and unsummon it instantly. Legends say that the Dragon is actually a part of Paorou, and it is actually by his own ability that he flies in the sky and fells entire armies. He only uses this when he is summoned as the Rider Class.

Sword of Iwaku Ouroboros - EX (in Iwaku) / A (Outside)
This powerful Noble Phantasm can only be utilized when Paorou is summoned in the Saber Class. The Sword of Iwaku is a weapon created to protect the world of Iwaku, but its amazing power was also capable of destroying it. The sword of Iwaku is capable of cutting and therefore killing anything that exists in the World of Iwaku, provided it (it can cut concepts) is understood/percieved by its user, and if the target is not the sheathe of Iwaku. When Paorou wielded it, it became a serpentine blade that whipped around of its own accord, but was synchronized with his wishes. It can grow to an undetermined length, and is capable of striking from any angle. Outside Iwaku, its potent ability is severely limited, but the legends attributed to it allow him to cut through most magical enchantments of B or lesser. This is a noble Phantasm which doesn't drain as much of Paorou's prana as his other abilities do, since the Sword of Iwaku is actually a shared legend among the heroes of Iwaku.

Sheathe of Iwaku - The Fortress of the Blade - EX
This Noble Phantasm is rarely seen with Paorou, as like the Sword of Iwaku, it is a shared legend among many heroes of Iwaku. It is the only thing that can deflect the Sword of Iwaku, since it was made to be the only thing the sword can't cut. It serves as the container for the legendary sword, and is capable of changing size in any dimension. Thus it can become a fortress, or a small twig. It drains relatively little prana from Paorou to brandish and use as a weapon, but when it hits/is hit with noble phantasms or any attack infused with legend, it requires a large prana consumption to maintain its form after the impact. The only exception to the rule is the Sword of Iwaku.

Yeah, Kitti should be a Caster. Nightmare Weaving would be your noble phantasm.

Nightmare Weaving - Tendrils of Despairing Thought - A
Using this ability, Caster attacks the target's mind, rather than the usual physical form or their prana core. With it, she is able to inflict damage and penalties on the target for as long as she focuses upon the target. Another perk gained by using this is that she can sometimes read their thoughts and learn their true nature/legend by drawing on their fears. Also, she can use the Territory Creation skill to gain a foothold in a target's mind, preparing it for further attacks later. As the effectiveness of this skill depends on the workings of the mind, this skill is difficult to use on those with the Mad Enhancement class skill. (As their minds won't necessarily be working as expected.)

The Never There (the chaotic, crazy half of Mabushii Kage) would be a Berserker or Assassin. Would have the Tentacle Closet as his Noble Phantasm. An foldable, portable doorway that leads to a dimension of madness, something straight out of Lovecraftian fiction. The Never There, already being completely mad, can pass through this realm to the exit door, which leads to anywhere he wants. Once out, he folds up the exit door, which also folds up the entrance, which disappears upon the final fold.

Mr. Brightside (the orderly, sane half of Mabushii Kage) would be a Saber or Lancer. Would wield the Noble Phantasm Tome of Binding. When read, this tome would allow Brightside to impose law, order, and reality upon all who hear it. (save himself, of course) This is basically a Confluence Pulse that only affects those who can clearly hear Brightside, and can only last as long as he continues reading from the tome and focusing his energy into it.

Mabushii Kage (when neither of the above is dominant, aka most of the time) would be an Assassin or Caster. Would wear the Noble Phantom known as the Mask of Dichotomy. It's allows Mabushii Kage to create a magical copy of anyone caught in his gaze, with the exception that the copy is the exact opposite of the original. For example, using it on a noble, righteous swordsman would create a treacherous, vile sorcerer. However, these copies tend to be weaker than the original, for creating a true, equally powerful copy would place a permanent drain on Mabushii Kage of nearly all his power.

lol TnT, If you used that final noble phantasm on Paorou, you'd essentially get Asmodeus in a blue tightsuit.

@Xion : Actually, it usually takes place in a modern setting, everyone is out to get each other, and the battles are kept secret from the populace. (Although they inadvertently get involved.) The original Grail War also used real world myths, legends and historical figures.

That's part of the fun, Pao. While Mabushii IS a balance of good and evil, light and dark, chaos and order, he still is a bit silly at times. It's one reason The Never There tends to become dominant more than Brightside.

I am an aggressive. I love adding to the flavor of a story and bringing in NPCs (I sometimes fall in love with NPCs and make them full characters). There are times when I want to be lazy though so I don't mind playing in a game someone else is directing.

Favorite Genres:

Fantasy, be it full blown other world, modern Earth or spacey. I don't mind other genres. I love action in general.

Genre You DON'T Like:

Horror and technical sci-fi.

Don't quite get all of this but an Ocha would most definitely be an archer/caster.

While forgotten by history Porg has often been the centre of events in the Iwaku Mythos. Remembered only by those who were there he has very little notoriety and may come across as a disappointing Servant to summon to many Masters. Having gone toe to toe with both the Angel Prince Asmodeus, and the Mad King Paorou Porg has proven himself in combat, at least to the opponents that remember such conflicts. He was the wielder of the Sheathe for a time and was the one who named the fourth power of 'SoulArts' as well as being the first to master several aspects of the power. As a Servant he is fairly easy to maintain, requiring little prana, at least in comparison to many of the other heroic spirits. He in however limited in his skills without some sort of emotional investment or connection to his Master or at the very least their goals.

Best suited to the Lancer class, where Porg will use a Quarterstaff he is also able to be summoned into the Saber class due to his noble Phantasm increasing his abilities to that class' required levels. He can also be summoned as Berserker, in a way. Not-Porg from the Dark Reign timeline will take his place, a fragment of Porg containing most of his raw SoulArts power who was driven psychotic by a war.

Noble Phantasms:

SoulArts: Rhapsody to broken limits. - EX
Whether it be due to a loved one being in danger, or a desperate need to win a fight Porg can increase all his abilities by utilising this emotional impetus. The power scaling of this ability is in theory infinite, but id directly proportional to the strength of emotion and will Porg is currently feeling. This ability can in theory power up some of his abilities to gain new traits, such as making his Soulblade a fortress or even world destroying weapon for the duration.
The downside of this ability is primarily the fact it cannot be controlled in any way. Faking a situation to heighten Porg's emotions can trigger this, but it's unlikely you could fake something that would elicit a strong enough response for much power. It is highly situational and also requires Porg to have some form of emotional bonds.
While Porg usually requires little Prana to maintain if this ability triggers at a high level it can cause a sudden increase in the amount of Prana he demands. Given the spontaneous nature of the Phantasm this could cause a lot of stress on the Master. Mostly however it simply requires an investment in willpower from the Master.

SoulBlade: Roar of a stalwart will - B
Porg's signature ability, if he has one, is his Soulblade. Porg is able to manifest a part of his soul as a weapon. The weapon can pretty much be any shape, and has variable size, but could not exceed the size of a large sword. If summoned as Lancer he will use it as a quarterstaff. The weapon is harder than most materials, but to Porg is light as he needs it to be. It is able to block most attacks, even able to block things with a damaging area far larger than the weapon itself (eg, huge lasers or explosions) sort of sucking in the force for the weapon to take the blast.
It is essentially a construct of pure Prana and so can be damage or broken by anti-magic weapons. However doing so will never permanently destroy the weapon. The soul is a empirical construct with no set mass or area, and thus will regenerate over time, though destroying the weapon will leave the wielder unarmed and exhausted for a time.
The weapon is maintained in Porg's standard Prana demand and requires essentially no extra Prana to use.

Sheathe of Iwaku - The Fortress of the Blade- EX
This Noble Phantasm is sometimes seen with Porg, as like the Sword of Iwaku, it is a shared legend among many heroes of Iwaku. It is the only thing that can deflect the Sword of Iwaku, since it was made to be the only thing the sword can't cut. It serves as the container for the legendary sword, and is capable of changing size in any dimension. Thus it can become a fortress, or a small twig. It drains relatively little prana from Paorou to brandish and use as a weapon, but when it hits/is hit with noble phantasms or any attack infused with legend, it requires a large prana consumption to maintain its form after the impact. The only exception to the rule is the Sword of Iwaku. Porg tends to use it as a quarterstaff appearing as a long thin miniature castle tower.

G'damn. I am tempted to run an Iwaku World based grail war now. Hahahaha.

Since I did say we could stat servants from other RPs...

Kheper Kamen, Pharaoh of Pain

Possible classes: Caster, Archer, Rider, Lancer, Pharaoh*

Kheper Kamen, who is my self-insert in a friend's campaign of Scion, was chosen by the Egyptian goddess Isis one day, while he was at an anime convention in Singapore. Being an otaku and an all-around geek, he jumped at the call and became a golden armored hero. Kheper is the egyptian word for 'Scarab', which symbolizes Transformation and rebirth - while Kamen is japanese for 'mask'. He went on many adventures with his brother, Nic and his friends, who were also chosen by the gods for some wierd reason.

While searching for a way to save a group of damsels in distress, his frustrations led him to try some real-world occult rituals to directly ask questions from demons. This did not end well. He also inadvertently gave his friends some dangerous powers, and a reason to hate his guts. This, too did not end well. Kheper Kamen then realized that he hastened the apocalypse, and decided to form a legion of demons bound to his will to combat this. This probably won't end well. Though, he did manage to have had talks with the fallen Angel Lucifer a few times (He survived each instance.)

Though he may come off as a goof and a short-sighted character, but his knowledge and capabilities are very real and very dangerous. As a Lancer, he represents the 'heroic' Kheper Kamen, starting off with his magical staff that becomes various things as determined by fate. As Archer, he uses the dangerous cannons on his shoulders, powered by his raw legend. As Rider, he is the Demon Lord Kheper Kamen, using his legion of Demons to sow terror and destruction. As Caster, he is at his most powerful, as Fate itself becomes his unlikely ally.

His demand for Prana is also VERY high, making him a powerful, yet hard to maintain servant. He can become a powerful class known as 'Pharaoh' - the full embodiment of his legend, but it only becomes a viable option when he is summoned as a Caster.

Character Abilities:

Destiny's Fool - N/A
Although he is knowledgeable in the workings of Destiny, he is overly dependent on it. He sometimes fails to realize that fate drives him to work toward his own doom. This Ability/trait allows him access to some very powerful Noble Phantasms, however.

Occultist of the World- A+++
He is very knowledgeable in matters of the occult, such that his Thaumaturgy is enhanced because of this understanding. He mixes various magicks into his craft, such as Egyptian Haeku, Filipino Agimat, Aztec Itztli, and various others. As Caster, his spells are considered 'modern' magic as compared to the casters from the Age of Gods, but his magic is very hard to counter as a result of this combined mastery of various disciplines. He is also able to instantly recognize magic and its ultimate effect, even though he may not necessarily understand its roots, workings or components.

Territory Creation : Demon/Familiar Binding - A
His Territory Creation has a different bent in that his workshop is actually a complex portal enchantment combined with a binding spell. Anything Caster summons in his territory has, with it, a binding spell akin to a command seal that allows him to more effectively control his assets. It is a remarkable copy of the grail war enchantment that his territory's special nature as a gateway may allow him to summon a Grail War Servant, with him as the Master. However, this requires that a Servant class is available at the time of summoning, and that he has at least one 'real' command seal that allows him to access the Throne of Heroes.

A Noble Phantasm that is fully realized when summoned in the Lancer Class. It takes the form of a small doll of Isis, Egyptian goddess of Magic and Pharaohic power. However, when Kheper Kamen wills it, it becomes a long staff, tipped with the knot of Isis (her symbol). It can be used as a weapon (It is indestructible - the prana required to maintain him covers this) and a focus for magic. Like his Armor, this Noble Phantasm is available for him in all classes.

If he is a Lancer, however, the weapon becomes an EX Noble Phantasm, as fate itself weaves its form. By uttering a small prayer, Kheper Kamen leaves the weapon's form to destiny, and it transforms into whatever is needed for the situation. However, fate may not always be supportive of his actions, and it will reflect in some comedic instances. As Pharaoh, he also gains this ability - and fate tends to be a bit more sympathetic to his plight.

His Golden Armor, is a golden symbol of the Kheper (Scarab/Dung Beetle.) He always has this armor on when in combat, as it is an indellible part of his legend. It is made with a combination of prana and his own spiritual legend. The Armor regenerates from damage whenever he utters the words, "Isis isn't gonna like this." It also becomes a small familiar scarab when he unsummons the armor. He can use this familiar as jewelry, or he can order it to attack/annoy people.

The armor itself changes form depending on the class he is summoned into. As Lancer, he appears as a golden knight with a scarab as his head. As Archer, Lancer or Caster, he takes the form in the picture above, although if he isn't an archer, there are chains on his shoulder pylons. As Pharaoh, however, his Armor becomes even more grand, complete with golden, translucent beetle wings that allow for flight. It also allows him to become a factory of attack scarabs, which fly out and augment his already considerable combat capabilities.

Sealed in every class except Archer and Pharaoh, mostly out of mercy for the Master who summoned him. This is his strongest weapon in terms of raw power. In truth, it is an elaborate Agimat, a filipino talisman which defines his nationality in all the Egypt-themed stuff he possesses. The Apotheosis Cannon literally converts Legend and Prana into pure destructive force, which grows even more powerful as his legend grows. Prana determines how much of his Legend is utilized in a shot, and thus the more Prana spent, the more powerful the output. To say that a Master could die from the repeated Prana expenditure of this weapon is a major understatement.

This is his legion of demons, which serve as his primary offensive ability when he is summoned as Caster or Rider. By default, it is a mass of shadowy demons that can rip a person to shreds simply by flying through them. They can act as a shield, or as a cloud that allows him to fly. He may send them one at a time. Their fighting power is roughly equivalent to the legend of the 300 spartans, but have the flexibility of all modern military fighting forces today. They are commanded by Caster's verbal commands and a contract that lasts through eternity - they are essentially bonded to his soul.

It has been sealed from the Lancer class because he is still 'heroic' in that class, and from the Archer class because this Noble Phantasm takes too much Prana. (It conflicts with the Apotheosis Cannons).

In Rider and Pharaoh class, it becomes EX due to the inclusion of his Three Succubi Lieutenants - who take the form of fancily dressed anime girls, each with an eyepatch on their left eye. They have the ability to heal him from damage using unearthly pleasures, and to command his demons more effectively (since he can communicate with his generals telepathically) They are also fearsome combatants on the field. If pressed to the limit, The demon lord can order them to revert to their true form, which blinds and dazes every person who gazes upon them. Even servants need to roll a save to avoid getting stunned.

My Ars Magnus: Mercenary of Fate - Heed the Soul of the World - EX

Only available in Caster class. This reflects his dealings with destiny itself, and with his struggles to both quash and to appease Fate. He essentially allows himself to become Fate's puppet for a scene, enacting mysterious events and doing strange things at its behest. In exchange, he may ask for a request from Destiny itself. It can be a complex or simple request, as long as destiny has no plans that contradict this request. For this reason, time-travel is not allowed. Winning the grail war is a seriously risky request - Caster may or may not receive anything from this request and thus it may imply that Destiny has other plans for him. He would never know until it's too late.

However, it is by this method that he can ask to be changed into the Pharaoh class, allowing him to use his full capabilities. This does not necessarily ensure his victory, however, as Destiny always has the final say. The Noble Phantasm can only be used once every Grail War, even if he is transformed into the Pharaoh Class. Attempting to use it more than once via Grail wishes or Command seals, will extinguish the life of the Master. Destiny will see to this.

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